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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · calf · wave · bound · nail · pass · root · current

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. current — of water
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. band — a music group
  7. root — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. root — of a word
  11. current — happening now
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. root — the cause
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. current — electric
  21. bound — tied together
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com